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Since it is the new year, in conjunction with the Whole Living 28-Day Action Plan, I have decided to incorporate a bit of a raw detox thanks to the inspiration I found in the quick and easy read, The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia rose

So far it is going well! I dug out my mom’s juicer and have been really enjoying experimenting with various veggie/fruit juice combinations! Equally enjoyable are the MASSSIVE raw salads that I’ve been creating!

Only veggies here folks!

Eating raw is a big change, and right now I am sticking to with a mostly raw till dinner approach… check out detoxtheworld.com for more on the benefits of going raw. I will be posting more as I get more into the lifestyle and decide what is for me and what isn’t! Also, the Juice Plus+ whole food supplements that I decided to try have come, and I began taking them two days ago! I am hoping that between all the juicing and raw veggies AND the supplements, that I will be feeling more vital and alive in no time at all 🙂

Welcome to the first hour of 2011!!! I had an amazing 2010, and I hope for an even better 2011!! I have lots of ideas for the new year, for REALLY getting healthy and sharing with you all 🙂 I will be starting the Whole Living Action Plan 28-Day Challenge on January 3 and so can you! Check out their website for more details!!

Since I feel like I am not sharing enough of my nutrition and culinary adventures, I have decided to take the 2011 WordPress challenge and post at least once a week. Now this may not seem like a very big commitment to some, but I feel that it is always better to commit to something that you can actually accomplish, rather than to something that would require you jump through blazing hoops to make happen..so like I said before.. START SMALL 🙂

As the New Year approaches, I have become increasingly aware of just how early I began my winter hibernation this year… I think the combination of a very difficult semester and a new boyfriend made it very easy for me to just say, “welp it’s cold outside, the farmers market is closed, I guess I can’t do anything but snuggle up with a good TV show”… and this all happened in October! Just kidding, well sort of. Anyways, I have not stuck to my promise of writing about my nutrition goals and changes as I said I would do in when I first began this journey. And truthfully, I am a little upset with myself for not writing and for even more importantly not sticking to the goals that I had in mind for this past semester. I cried to my mom this evening about how disappointed I was in myself for letting my health goals go so astray. And you know what she told me to do? Stop crying and just pick up where I left off. And make attainable goals, instead of trying to change my life all at once. So that is what I am doing.

Since it is winter, and here in central PA the bounty is no longer plentiful, I have decided to give the JuicePlus+ supplements a try. I have been looking into these whole food supplements for a while now, and have decided that it is worth it to give them a try. They are basically concentrated fruits and veggies in a little capsule, that will hopefully boost my health (especially these damn winter blues) in this time of limited fresh bounty…

I will keep you updated on how they are working…hopefully they will arrive next week 🙂 Just in time for the start of the 28-day Whole Living action plan that I have chosen to participate in! Sign-up now on their website, for the challenge which begins on January 3rd! I am REALLY looking forward to a structured plan to get back on the healthy track 🙂

So here I am at the start of my “new life” and I find myself wanting to share my journey with you all.. and you may wonder what I mean when I say my new life, well read on!

I went through a mini life crisis during my sophomore year of college. At the time I was taking a basic Biology/Science course, which the instructor lovingly nicknamed “Awaken 101.” This course introduced me to environmentalism and the idea of holistic living, including the dangers of our food system. In an effort to take action, I vowed to cut high fructose corn syrup out of my life, which essentially meant no more processed and packaged foods for me.

I was also incredibly unhappy with my studies and decided to take a “leave of absence.” Flash forward a few months. I was visiting my favorite aunt in the San Francisco Bay Area and came across http://baumancollege.org/ a Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts School. The programs at the school are based on eating whole, local, seasonal and organic foods to replenish your body, mind and soul. I was so excited about the program and enrolled right away. Within a few weeks I was accepted to begin their Nutrition Educator program. I packed my bags and moved to Berkeley, California where the school was located. Over the next few months I learned so much about food and how it influences every aspect of ones health. Suddenly all of my little aches and pains and daily bothers (you know headaches, stomachaches, moodiness, menstrual issues etc) were gone!

I left California in the spring of 2009 and moved back to Pennsylvania. After debating what to do in terms of finishing my Bachelors Degree, I decided to head back to Penn State and give their nutrition program a try. It wasn’t for me so I switched my major (yet again) to Sociology. I was happy with this switch and enjoyed my studies, but had lost myself in the college-lifestyle –too much partying, pulling all-nighters and everything else that one associates with typical college behavior and my health was paying the price. I was not eating healthy, whole foods all the time nor was I doing any exercise. I was splurging one too many times on chicken-fingers and fries, pizza and all the other wonderfully bad for you foods that we all enjoy so much.

Now I am at the start of my senior year (yippie!) and am carrying what I had previously called my “freshman 10” pounds, yet again. And the little aches and pains and daily bothers are back lurking in my daily life. I asked myself how I let this happen, why I let myself forget about the wonders of food and how good it can actually make you feel! Well the question can be pondered no longer. Action must be taken. I invite you to follow me on my journey back to optimal health! I will be posting tips along the way and encourage you to ask questions about eating well and how you can combat the college lifestyle with me!